Vail Ranch Pharmacy, Taking Care of People First - Fluhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/tags/flu
enThink You Don't Need A Flu Shot? Here Are 5 Reasons To Change Your Mindhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/think-you-dont-need-flu-shot-here-are-5-reasons-change-your-mind
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><div>Thnak you Allison Aubrey from npr for this article. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/01/652140517/think-you-dont-need-a-flu-shot-here-are-5-reasons-to-change-your-mind" target="_blank">Click here </a>for original article.</div>
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<div>There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the flu shot.</div>
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<div>But following a winter in which more than 80,000 people died from flu-related illnesses in the U.S. — the highest death toll in more than 40 years — infectious disease experts are ramping up efforts to get the word out.</div>
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<div>"Flu vaccinations save lives," Surgeon General Jerome Adams told the crowd at an event to kick off flu vaccine awareness last week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. "That's why it's so important for everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year."</div>
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<div>But many Americans ignore this advice. The U.S. vaccination rate hovers at about 47 percent a year. This is far below the 70 percent target. And college students are among the least vaccinated.</div>
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<div>"We have long known that college students are at a particularly high risk of getting and spreading flu viruses," says Lisa Ipp, an adolescent medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Yet, on U.S. college campuses, flu vaccination rates remain strikingly low," she writes in a 2017 post published by the National Foundation for Infectious Disease. The group sponsored a survey of college students and found that only between 8 and 39 percent of students get the vaccine.</div>
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<div>So why aren't people getting the vaccine? The college survey data point to a mix of misperception and fear.</div>
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<div>For instance, among students who don't get the vaccine, 36 percent say that they are healthy and don't need it, and 30 percent say they don't think the vaccine is effective. Then, there's the fear: 31 percent say they don't like needles.</div>
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<h2>So, let's do a reality check. If you're on the fence about a flu shot, here are five arguments to twist your arm.</h2>
<h3>1. You are vulnerable.</h3>
<div>People 65 and older are at higher risk of flu-related complications, but the flu can knock young, healthy people off their feet, too. It does every year.</div>
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<div>"The flu can, on occasion, take a young, healthy person and put them in the intensive care unit," says William Schaffner, medical director at the NFID.</div>
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<div>And, even when it's not that severe, it's still bad. "If you get the flu, you're [down] for the count for about a week," Ipp tells her college-age patients.</div>
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<div>Here's a sobering thought: Healthy children die from flu, too. According to the CDC, 172 American children and teens (under the age of 18) died from the flu last winter. Eighty percent of them had not received a flu vaccine. And about half had no underlying illnesses before getting the flu. In other words, they'd been healthy children.</div>
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<div>And there's this: The flu doesn't just make you feel lousy. It can increase the risk of having a heart attack, according to a study published this year.</div>
<h3><br />2. Getting a flu shot is your civic duty.</h3>
<div>"Nobody wants to be the dreaded spreader," says Schaffner. But everybody gets the flu from somebody else. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have caught the flu virus are contagious one day before they start to feel sick and for up to seven days after. (Check out our video on flu contagion if you really need to be convinced!)</div>
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<div>So getting the flu shot will help protect your family, friends and co-workers. "It's the socially correct thing to do," Schaffner says.</div>
<h3><br />3. You can still get the flu, but you won't be as sick.</h3>
<div>After last winter's severe season, some people are skeptical. They say: "I got the flu shot, but I still caught the flu."</div>
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<div>In fact, the 2017-18 season was the deadliest in more than 40 years. "We had a very vicious virus, the so-called H3N2 influenza strain," says Schaffner.</div>
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<div>And yes, it's true that the vaccine does not offer complete protection. The CDC estimates that flu vaccination reduces the risk of the virus by about 40 to 60 percent. Think of it this way: If you catch the flu, the vaccine does still offer some protection. It cushions the blow. "Your illness is likely to be milder" if you've had a flu shot, says Schaffner. You're less likely to get pneumonia, which is a major complication of the flu, and less likely to be hospitalized.</div>
<h3><br />4. Pregnant women who get the flu shot protect their babies from flu.</h3>
<div>Women who are pregnant should be vaccinated to protect themselves. The vaccine also offers protection after babies are born. "[Women] can pass the protection on, across the placenta," Schaffner explains. And this will protect their baby during the first six months of life, until the baby is old enough to be vaccinated.</div>
<h3><br />5. You cannot get flu from the flu vaccine.</h3>
<div>It's still a common misperception: the idea that you can get the flu from the flu shot.</div>
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<div>The NFID-sponsored survey of college students found that close to 60 percent of students seem to think that the flu vaccine can cause flu. "That's, of course, incorrect," says Schaffner.</div>
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<div>The most common side effects are a sore arm, and perhaps a little swelling. "A very small proportion of people, 1 to 2 percent, get a degree of fever," Schaffner says. That's not the flu, he explains. "That's the body reacting to the vaccine."</div>
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<div>Because the flu is unpredictable, it's too soon to know what to expect this winter. But Schaffner has this advice: Don't wait. "The time to get vaccinated is right now," he says.</div>
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<div>If that doesn't move you, maybe a little reward will. The survey data of college students found that incentives are a good idea. Think: free food, free entertainment or a gift card for a free coffee. Ipp found about 60 percent of students said these types of incentives would increase the likelihood of their getting the flu vaccine.</div>
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<div>Another way to nudge people? Make it super convenient. On the campus of George Washington University, the medical director of the student health center has organized flu-clinic pop-ups in venues where students hang out, such as the library. "We don't wait for them to come to us," Isabel Goldenberg told us.</div>
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<div>For workers in offices, flu clinics at the workplace can be an effective way to encourage vaccination, too.</div>
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<div>What about the use of social media to motivate people? "I've had the flu, which was horrible," Max Webb, a student at George Washington University, told me. He thinks if people shared their flu stories, it could help nudge people in their social networks to get the flu shot.</div>
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<div>And what would you name this campaign, I asked Webb? "Say boo to the flu," Webb replied. Or simply, #boo2flu.</div>
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<div>Kinda catchy!</div>
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<div>Vail Ranch Pharmacy, Your Temecula Pharmacy Says Boo to the Flu!</div>
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<div>FLU SHOTS</div>
<div>$0 Copay with most Insurance*</div>
<div>$25 If not covered by Insurance</div>
<div>Limited supply.<br /><a href="https://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/content/get-your-flu-shot" target="_self"><span style="font-size:11px;">FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE</span></a></div>
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<div>Make an appointment by calling (951) 303-8300 or just walk in!</div>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="https://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/sites/default/files/blogpost_vailrannchpharmacy_4.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/sites/default/files/styles/blog_post_normal/public/blogpost_vailrannchpharmacy_4.jpg?itok=UtorW0tv" width="575" height="302" alt="Flu, Flu Shot, Influenza, The Flu, Vail Ranch Pharmacy Temecula" title="Flu, Flu Shot, Influenza, The Flu, Vail Ranch Pharmacy Temecula" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/blog/term/health">Health</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/tags/flu">Flu</a>, <a href="/tags/influenza">Influenza</a>, <a href="/tags/flu-vaccine">Flu Vaccine</a>, <a href="/tags/flu-season">Flu Season</a></span></div></div></div>Sat, 13 Oct 2018 18:04:05 +0000admin272 at https://www.vailranchpharmacy.comhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/think-you-dont-need-flu-shot-here-are-5-reasons-change-your-mind#commentsQUESTIONS ANSWERED: THE FLUhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/questions-answered-flu
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Holidays are almost here and the Flu season is about to begin. We answer some general questions about this 2014-2015 Flu season in this blog post.</p>
<h4>What sort of flu season is expected this year?</h4>
<p>It’s not possible to predict what this flu season will be like. Flu seasons are unpredictable in a number of ways. While flu spreads every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season usually varies from one season to another.</p>
<h4><br />Will new flu viruses circulate this season?</h4>
<p>Flu viruses are constantly changing so it's not unusual for new flu viruses to appear each year.</p>
<h4><br />When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?</h4>
<p>Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.</p>
<h4><br />What should I do to prepare for this flu season?</h4>
<p>CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season. People should begin getting vaccinated soon after flu vaccine becomes available, ideally by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins.<br /><br />In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others.</p>
<h4><br />What should I do to protect my loved ones from flu this season?</h4>
<p>Encourage your loved ones to get vaccinated as soon as vaccine becomes available in their communities, preferably by October. Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for serious flu complications, and their close contacts.<br /><br />Children between 6 months and 8 years of age may need two doses of flu vaccine to be fully protected from flu. Your child’s doctor or other health care professional can tell you whether your child needs two doses. Visit Children, the Flu, and the Flu Vaccine for more information.<br /><br />Children younger than 6 months are at higher risk of serious flu complications, but are too young to get a flu vaccine. Because of this, safeguarding them from flu is especially important. If you live with or care for an infant younger than 6 months of age, you should get a flu vaccine to help protect them from flu. See Advice for Caregivers of Young Children for more information.</p>
<h4><br />When should I get vaccinated?</h4>
<p>CDC recommends that people get vaccinated against flu soon after vaccine becomes available, preferably by October.<br /><br />It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.</p>
<h4><br />Where can I get a flu vaccine?</h4>
<p>Flu vaccines are offered by many doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers, as well as by many employers, and even by some schools. Vail Ranch Pharmacy has started offering seasonal Flu shots. Drop by, no appointment necessary.</p>
<h4><br />Is there treatment for the flu?</h4>
<p>Yes. If you get sick, there are drugs that can treat flu illness. They are called antiviral drugs and they can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They also can prevent serious flu-related complications, like pneumonia.</p>
<p><br />Stay healthy!<br />Vail Ranch Pharmacy in Temecula</p>
<p><span style="font-size:9px;">Thank you CDC for this helpful article.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/blog/term/news">News</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/tags/flu">Flu</a></span></div></div></div>Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:09:49 +0000admin195 at https://www.vailranchpharmacy.comhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/questions-answered-flu#commentsInteractive map of U.S. predicts where seasonal flu will hithttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/interactive-map-us-predicts-where-seasonal-flu-will-hit
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Ongoing Flu Season Is Predicted to Peak in January and continue into February for Most of the Country<br /><br />Infectious disease experts at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health have launched a website that reports weekly predictions for rates of season influenza in 94 cities in the United States based on a scientifically validated system. The URL is <a href="http://Ongoing Flu Season Is Predicted to Peak in January and continue into February for Most of the Country Infectious disease experts at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health have launched a website that reports weekly predictions for rates of season influenza in 94 cities in the United States based on a scientifically validated system. The URL is cpid.iri.columbia.edu." target="_blank">cpid.iri.columbia.edu.</a></p>
<h3>Stats of the Flu:</h3>
<ul><li>Flu cases in most of the country are forecast to peak in January.</li>
<li>Areas of the country hardest hit by seasonal flu-including Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Nevada—have already seen the worst of the outbreak.</li>
<li>Flu cases are predicted to continue to rise into February for several cities.</li>
<li>Overall, the 2013-2014 flu season is currently predicted to peak later with fewer cases than the 2012-2013 season but considerably more severe than the 2011-2012 season.</li>
</ul><p><br />New predictions are posted every Friday afternoon during the flu season.<br /><br />"We hope the site will help foster greater awareness of influenza activity and risk around the country, and motivate individuals to take measures, such as vaccination, to protect themselves against the virus.<br />- Jeffrey Shaman, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School.</p>
<h3>Website Features:</h3>
<ul><li>Interactive map of the United States the displays the relative severity of seasonal flu in cities across the country flu and incidence numbers for each.</li>
<li>Influenza incidence predictions by city for the coming weeks.</li>
<li>Map that illustrates the proportion of flu cases by region.</li>
<li>Charts that compare the timing and severity of the four most recent flu seasons.</li>
<li>Exportable data for each week of the flu season (beginning in 9/29 for the 2013-2014 season).</li>
</ul><p><br />The flu forecasting system adapts techniques used in modern weather prediction to turn real-time, Web-based estimates of influenza infection into local forecasts of the future influenza incidence by locality.<br /><br />For the public, the flu forecast may promote greater vaccination, the exercise of care around people sneezing and coughing, and a better awareness of personal health. For health officials, it could inform decisions on how to stockpile and distribute vaccines and antiviral drugs, and in the case of a virulent outbreak, whether other measures, like closing schools, are necessary.<br /><br />"Flu forecasting is a powerful example of how public health research is leveraging technology to prevent the spread of infections and safeguard our health," says Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Dean of Columbia’s Mailman School.<br /><br />In the U.S. the Centers for Disease Control estimates that between 3,000 and 49,000 die from the flu every year, according to the CDC.<br /><br />Article excerpt taken from <a href="http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/news/flu-forecasting-website-posts-first-predictions" target="_blank">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a><br /> </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="https://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/sites/default/files/Post_Flu.png"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/sites/default/files/styles/blog_post_normal/public/Post_Flu.png?itok=C5NJCPIS" width="575" height="279" alt="Interactive map of U.S. predicts where seasonal flu will hit" title="Interactive map of U.S. predicts where seasonal flu will hit" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/blog/term/news">News</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/tags/news">News</a>, <a href="/tags/flu">Flu</a>, <a href="/tags/influenza">Influenza</a></span></div></div></div>Mon, 27 Jan 2014 19:55:41 +0000admin158 at https://www.vailranchpharmacy.comhttps://www.vailranchpharmacy.com/blog/interactive-map-us-predicts-where-seasonal-flu-will-hit#comments